Amethyst Serendipity
by Mana Mihara
Summary: [Complete] [AU] A chance meeting at a local Laundromat brings two unsuspecting people together. Their differences draw them to each other and bind them with an invisible tie. See what happens in this 3-part story of discovery and love. [KK]
1. Part 1

**Synopsis**: (AU) (KK) A chance meeting at a local Laundromat brings two unsuspecting people together. Their differences draw them to each other and bind them with an invisible tie. See what happens in this 3-part story of discovery, friendship, love and subtle humor.

**Author's Note**: This is definitely not the most original idea for a story I've come up with, but I do like the idea. Funny enough, it was actually written inside a Laundromat while I was washing my hoard of laundry, because the washer in my house conveniently broke when a pile of clothes the size of Mt. Everest accumulated in the laundry room. Fortunately, I had a notebook with me, so when I was struck by a sudden zing of inspiration for this 'extended one-shot' I was able to start writing before my muse deserted me.

I plan on making this a 3-part story. I'm not sure how fast the next two installments will come out, but since I have the story completely planned out, the gaps between the two updates will be as minimal as possible.

Erm…and I know I'm a little insane for starting another fic, no matter how small it is. But, hey, I can't help what pops into my head, right? (wink)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

**_Amethyst Serendipity_**

Carrying a full, pink laundry basket awkwardly in her arms, Kaoru deftly weaved through the numerous people clustered randomly on the congested sidewalk. The worn blue jeans she wore hung on her slim frame while the faded aqua t-shirt had definitely seen better days. The beautiful weather of the mid-afternoon cloaked the busy city street with cheerful brightness; the brilliant sun shining through the thin clouds. The trees adjacent to the overcrowded sidewalk flourished with green beauty while many multihued flowers peppered the mulch-filled flowerbeds. Kaoru smiled absentmindedly at a giggling toddler who passed by with her fussy mother.

Scanning the broad and colorful signs above the doors of the businesses lining the street, Kaoru chewed her bottom lip in thought. Megumi had said the local Laundromat was on the corner of 8th and Duncan, but as she neared that very corner, Kaoru sighed in mild frustration when she didn't see it immediately. A Chinese restaurant emitting a delicious aroma of pungent spices hugged one corner while a cozy coffee shop, smelling of freshly brewed coffee beans, bordered the other.

Oh, but wait.

There it was.

The small Laundromat with shiny yellow lettering over the door hid subtly between two small knick-knack shops on the third corner. The door was made of partially shaded glass, hiding the occupants within.

Shifting the heavy basket in her arms, Kaoru shuffled up to the door and pushed it open to step into the crowded self-serve Laundromat. The thick air was filled to the brim with jumbled voices, whirs of machinery, and the hum of the noisy air conditioner. People stood in literally almost every corner of the small building. And, unfortunately for Kaoru, it appeared as if all the rumbling washers were already occupied with a current cycle of dirty laundry.

Somewhat frustrated that she would be forced to wait before beginning her washing, Kaoru parked herself next to a row of washers and leaned against the stark white wall, propping the increasingly heavy mass of clothes she carried against the top of a black metal stand holding free real estate brochures. She scrunched her toes inside her green tennis shoes and shifted her right shoulder in a circular motion to work out an uncomfortable kink.

With curious eyes, Kaoru let her sapphire gaze dance over the many occupants of the room. All of the hard orange plastic chairs lining the wall were filled with people who lazily scanned brochures or newspapers, waiting as patiently as possible for their current laundry cycle to end.

A woman with dark hair sat in one of those chairs, a young girl perched merrily in her lap. The woman held a colorful children's book in her hands, reading with excited animation and bringing the characters within to magical life. To the woman's right, a man with dark brown hair tapped his fingers against his leg as he scanned the headlines of the day's newspaper. Many others slouched uninterestingly, their blank faces hiding their thoughts.

But, there was one person who stood out from the rest of the crowd. Maybe it was his vividly bright, red hair that made the slight young man visually pop from the mess of people, or maybe it was the way he was dressed in such a haphazard manner.

Kaoru tilted her head to the side and blinked with amazed curiosity as she took in every detail of his miss-matched attire, from the tips of his shoes to the top of his brilliantly colored hair.

The brow and white checkered button-up shirt he wore was comfortably wrinkled and only tucked half-way into his dark brown slacks. The end of one side of his shirt spilled over the lip of his pants, partially covering his white leather belt. His slacks were almost an inch too short, baring his yellow socks and scuffed black loafers. He had a shiny silver bracelet on his left wrist while a regular rubber band barely controlled the long mass of tangled red hair. But, because his back was turned to Kaoru, she couldn't see his face. A shame since Kaoru became more and more intrigued by him with each passing second.

With a sigh, Kaoru slid her eyes down to the dirty gray linoleum floor and shifted her legs to alter the onslaught of pressure from the laundry basket. She was just about to pull out a single piece of cotton candy flavored bubble gum when she noticed the red-head open the lid of his washer and start to unload a mangled mass of wet and tangled clothing.

When he finished and stepped away, Kaoru hesitated a few moments to see if anyone else planned on using it. Everyone remained impassive, continuing their immediate exploits to alleviate the impending boredom which threatened to take them over. With a slight shrug and hint of a small smile, Kaoru pushed off from the hard wall and headed in a quickened pace over to the vacant washer. Dropping the pink laundry basket on the floor with a semi-loud plop, she reached for the small sample packet of laundry detergent Megumi had thrown at her on her out of the apartment. Kaoru opened the lid of the washer, looked inside…then froze.

A pair of white boxers with little pink and red scattered hearts lay dejectedly at the bottom of the washer, abandoned by their former owner. Kaoru let out a little cough and stared at the boxers for a moment, unsure as to what her next move should be. Hesitantly, she reached her hand inside, wrapped her fingers around the elastic band at the waist and pulled them out from the bottom of the washer.

She held the colorful boxers a little away from her body, while eyeing them with careful suspicion. Turning, Kaoru quickly scanned for the young man who stuck out like a sore thumb. Thankfully, he had only traveled a few feet away and was still loading his damp laundry into a dryer. A few quick steps later, Kaoru stood by his side.

With a thrust of her arm, Kaoru dangled the underpants beneath his unsuspecting nose.

In a somewhat sardonic tone, she asked, "Forget something?"

He jumped slightly, caught off guard by Kaoru's abrupt interruption and turned wide amethyst eyes to her frowning face. His face, though slightly subtle in its beauty, was clear, kind and striking. His unusual eyes slid down from her own face to the boxers she held out in her hand. Kaoru watched, silently amused, as a faint blush crept across his pale features, revealing his acute bashful embarrassment. He swallowed, opened his mouth to reply, and then closed it when he could think of nothing immediately to say. Reaching out, he gingerly took the boxers from her and let his now full hand to fall limply at his side.

With a last glance at his attractive features, Kaoru turned and went back over to her laundry before someone else stole her washer right from under her nose. She had just started to throw some of the clothes she brought with her into the washer when she heard a hesitant voice behind her.

"Um, thank you."

Kaoru stopped in mid-motion and turned to the young man while clutching a yellow t-shirt in her hand. She straightened from her bend position, laying the t-shirt down on the edge of the washer and tilted her head to the side as a smile of quizzical questions graced her lips.

"You're welcome," she replied softly in a kind voice. "I'm sure it happens all the time."

He nodded slowly in response, his expression unreadable, though a hint of curiosity loomed in his blinking amethyst orbs.

Tearing her eyes from his captivating gaze, Kaoru bit her bottom lip between her teeth and shifted her stance, bopping her foot against the bottom of the metal washer with a muted thump. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him fidget as if plagued by some unknown matter. He rested his hand atop an adjacent washer and leaned toward Kaoru slightly.

In a polite voice, strengthened with acclimated confidence, he said, "You aren't planning on putting all those clothes together are you?"

The red-haired man blinked at Kaoru somewhat anxiously as an onslaught of self-consciousness hit him full force. He froze as Kaoru turned her suddenly perplexed gaze to him. In response, he rolled his weight back on his heels and sucked in a cautious breath.

Kaoru darted her eyes back and forth between the baffling man and her load of colorful laundry, her eyes filling with a cloud of befuddlement. Leaning over to grab a white blouse and a deep red t-shirt from the laundry basket, Kaoru peered at him with a frown. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her.

"Not going to what?" she asked, involuntarily clenching the cotton shirt in her hand.

He hesitated a split second, obviously debating on whether to go on with his unknown advice. But he sighed solemnly, deciding to forge on dangerously. "You aren't going to wash those clothes together, I mean. It's a common rule of thumb not to, uh, wash your whites with colors. And especially avoid washing your delicates with casual clothes, like jeans for example," he replied, pointing to blouse she held, then motioning to countless pairs of jeans and kakis underneath more shirts in her laundry basket.

Having never actually journeyed into the complex art of washing clothes, the young man's words were confusing alien babble to Kaoru. Delicates? Not washing everything together? She had never heard anything like that before. Megumi would have warned her about this, right? After all Megumi's clothes were mixed in the pink laundry basket with Kaoru's, and she knew Kaoru had never operated a washer.

Plus Kaoru was completely hopeless in the area of home and personal care. Especially in the kitchen and with the housecleaning. Kaoru's expertise ran towards the 'cross me and I'll give you a black eye'. She definitely wasn't known for her patience.

Kaoru sighed shallowly, narrowing her eyes in thought. Her eyes scanned slap-dash appearance of the male specimen standing somewhat nervously in front of her, and expelled a breath of weary musing.

"I don't mean to be rude, but if anything was wrong with the way I'm washing this stuff," Kaoru started, waving her hand over the basket of miscellaneous clothing, "I'm sure my roommate would have told me."

Her reply caught him off-guard, causing him to blink wearily her. "Ah. Well," he responded with a slight wince, "I guess you should follow the advice of someone you feel comfortable with, right?"

He shoved his hands into his shallow pockets and moved back from her with an unsteady step of indecision. He hated for the pretty young woman to bungle all her laundry, but he couldn't force her to follow his correct logical advice. Some things, it seemed, had to be learned the hard way through perilous experience.

He'd had learned that a long time ago.

Nodding slowly, he told her, "My name's Kenshin. If you need any help, feel free to ask me."

Leaning against the washer, Kaoru smiled and watched him turn his back on her before she could reply to his simple statement. Slightly abased at her refusal to acknowledge his advice, Kaoru turned to her laundry and loaded it into the white machine soon to be full of sudsy water. Dumping the detergent on top of the clothes, Kaoru shut the lid, inserted her coins into the small metal slots, and made sure the button for the cycle with warm water was depressed. Sighing with cautious approval, Kaoru rested her hands on her hips and turned away from the complex machine.

She walked languidly over to the wall of orange plastic chairs and plopped down into an empty one, slumping as a small wave of doubt flushed her face.

Kenshin.

What an unusual name.

At this moment, the unusual Kenshin stood in front of his dryer as if guarding the tumbling clothes that warmed from the building heat within. His head was downcast while his arms were crossed over his chest.

Kaoru fidgeted in her chair, and crossed one leg over the other. She wiggled her foot in an agitated fashion, impatiently brooding while her laundry revolved in the rumbling washer. Picking an Avon pamphlet sitting on the small brochure stand beside her, Kaoru thumbed through the brightly highlighted pages with disinterest.

The shrill melody of a cell phone ring broke through the mindless chatter of the Laundromat occupants and the irritating jumble of machinery. Kaoru lifted her head slowly from the pages of the small commercial magazine and watched as Kenshin pulled a phone from his pocket and began to speak in a calm manner to the person on the other line. A vague smile touched his lips while his expression shifted to a sardonic tilt. Running hand through his mussed hair, he laughed softly into the phone, muttered some cryptic replies with a humorous slant to his lips, then hung up as he shook his head slowly in disbelief, silently amazed by some unknown event.

With a heavy sigh, Kaoru turned back to her boring magazine and decided to ignore the whirl of life going on around her.

Thirty minutes later, Kaoru snapped out of her listless daze, deciding her laundry better be good and clean, else she'd personally go talk to the management about the ridiculously slow machines. Placing her feet flat on the floor, Kaoru pushed up from her seat and stepped the few paces over to her washer. Thankfully, the cycle had ended. Lifting the lid, Kaoru smiled triumphantly as she peered at her wet clothes. It appeared as if the washer had done its job admirably.

Kaoru grabbed her laundry basket and proceeded to dump the clumped, wet clothes inside it for easy transportation to the wall of countless dryers. Once the basket was full and the washer deserted of every piece of clothing, Kaoru shut the lid with a resounding clank and hefted the heavy basket with some difficulty. Straining under the unexpected weight, Kaoru trudged slowly to the dryers. Loading the clothes inside, she let out a low expletive when she scraped the back of her hand against the hinge of the door. With a grunt of annoyance, Kaoru closed the dryer's door loudly and shook her head in agitation as she placed the coins inside the machine to bring it to glorious life.

"They better dry fast," Kaoru muttered to herself in an agitated tone, slipping her hands into her back jean pockets as she watched the machine commence its motions of revolving torture.

An estimated forty minutes later, Kaoru leaned wearily against a washer behind her and watched with revealed relief as the dryer beeped and slowly stopped, coming to a gradual halt. Kaoru smiled to herself with congratulatory glee as she opened the dryer's door and started to pull out her crisp, warm and thankfully dry clothes. Though, her happy motions slowed as Kaoru pulled out a formerly white shirt, now dyed a splotchy red, also statically clinging to a shirt that looked like it belonged to a hobbit. A distressed moan of horror bubbled in the back of Kaoru's throat as her eyes widened with unbelief.

Shit!

Megumi was going to kill her.

Frantic now, Kaoru shuffled through many clothes and felt her erratically beating heart slip down into her churning stomach. Rubbing a hand over her eyes in a weary move of disbelief, Kaoru slumped against the edge of dryer with a hysterical laugh and gritted her teeth together. The blouse Megumi had paid a bundle for now looked like a swirled mass of nightmarish blue and red streaks.

Definitely not the best day of her life. Not by a freaking long shot.

With jerky motions, Kaoru shoved the clothes quickly into the basket while muttering to herself angrily.

Minutes later, on her way out of the nightmarish building of demonic machines, Kaoru made a last scan of the people, searching for Kenshin in particular. Apparently in one of her moments of acute distraction, she'd missed his departure. Guilt settled heavily in her mind as she thought of the way she'd easily dismissed his careful and well-meaning advice. Now, she wished with all her heart she'd followed his simple instructions.

Sighing, Kaoru pushed out into the dark night, her breath creating a small puff of humidity in the frigid air. She shuddered slightly against the bitter breeze and plodded down the sidewalk, the laundry basket underneath her arm.

She doubted she'd ever see Kenshin again.

-

**Author's Note**: Make sure to leave me a review and tell me your thoughts. I live for reviews! (wink)


	2. Part 2

**Author's Note**: This is a little short, though it actually contains quite a bit of interaction and dialogue. Hope everyone enjoys. Only one more part to go!

_**Updated: **_**2nd Author's Note**: Grrr...I'm irritated. A reviewer for this chapter pointed out some missingpunctuation in the dialogue, which confused me because I always make sure my dialogue clicks...I went and checked, and realized that when I uploaded the damn chapter, the stupid program deleted them. Freaking deleted them all! So I hope I fixed them all. Thanks to reviewer **Triste1** for pointing this out to me. Thank you so much.

**Reviewer Responses**:

person: I honestly had never been to a Laundromat, either, till two weeks ago when our washer crashed. Interesting experience to say the least. Heh. Sitting by yourself for an hour or two gets the creative juices flowing, though…and this story is the product of that…I'm glad I described it reasonably well. (wipes sweat off brow) And don't worry about underestimating me. I completely understand. I usually don't think I'll be able to pull off a story the way I want until I've finished the final draft…and then _still_ sometimes it's not up to par. Writing, I find, is a tricky business. Thanks for your review. Great to see your response!

Ange Noir: I know, I know. Another story. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. Ideas just keep coming so fast it's almost ridiculous. I actually started some other stories, too, that I haven't posted yet for fear of killing myself with the pressure of updating everything in a timely fashion. Heh. Oh, well. Clone…clone…I burst out laughing when I read that. Strange thought, lol. Thanks for taking the time to review one of my stories once more. It's always great to see a friendly face, or I guess in this case a friendly…contact? Er, sure. Lol.

erica6060: Thanks for the positive review. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

Aine of Knockaine: Yeah, I never thought I'd be inspired to write a story revolving around laundry. He he. Thanks for the review. Hope you like this part as well.

: Thanks so much for taking the time to review. It's always great to get feedback. I'm glad you like my story so far. Hopefully you'll like this update as well!

scythe195: Glad you reviewed. I'm happy you like it so far!

Triste1: I've noticed that I do tend to drift a little heavily into the descriptive end of the writing spectrum inadvertently. I'm sorry you thought there was a little much of it in the last part. Thanks for your other encouraging thoughts on the way I've portrayed the characters and such. Very helpful. Glad you reviewed.

someone: Aw…that's nice of you to say. Unique? That's always a great thing to hear! Thanks for your review! Here's the update.

Imana: Thanks so much for the enthusiastic review. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. Here's the update, which I hope you enjoy as well. Thanks again!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin

_**Amethyst Serendipity**_

**Part 2**

A dark night of bitter cold enveloped the dank streets of the sleepy city. The pedestrian traffic had slowed to a small trickle of random bodies walking with a proclaimed destination, their shoulders hunched to ward off the wintry slash of the stabbing wind.

Struggling with the biting strap of the large blue duffel bag, Kenshin stumbled a little on the wet sidewalk when the tip of his tennis shoe caught the lip of an upraised block of concrete. He let out an annoyed grunt and easily caught his balance with a practiced twist of his back and leg muscles. Peering through the long fringe of his red bangs, Kenshin squinted and blew out a warm breath of relief when he saw the welcoming door of his resident Laundromat. The bag he carried on his shoulder was getting pretty damn heavy.

Placing his palm flat against the moist glass of the door, Kenshin pushed it open easily and slipped inside, a rush of hot air bathing his tingling, wind-chapped face. Clenching and unclenching his hands, he tried to get the blood circulating through his fingers again. Kenshin stomped his wet feet against the tan welcoming mat at the entrance of the building and managed to dry the soles of his shoes slightly. Scanning the room for empty washers, Kenshin ambled slowly over to a row of five where three washer lids were open, ready to accept their next load.

Slipping the large duffel bag from his aching shoulder, Kenshin stooped down and started to sort through his laundry, carefully dividing his clothes into three piles. One pile for colored clothes, another for hand rags, towels, socks, and underwear, and the last for his miscellaneous white items of clothing. Then he evenly distributed the clothes into the three washers, added the liquid detergent, inserted his coins into the machines and began the lengthy cycle of washing clothes. Leaning down again, Kenshin neatly folded the now empty blue duffel bag and stood, slipping the bag underneath his arm.

Thrusting his hand roughly into his pant pocket to check for some more loose change, he almost didn't hear the small call behind him, beckoning for his attention.

"Kenshin?"

Blinking, he frowned quizzically and swiveled to the side to find the owner of the soft voice. Three people were currently sitting in the Laundromat chairs. A large man reclining awkwardly in an orange chair shifted uncomfortably, his eyes glued to a green hardback book perched in his rough hands. An older blond woman flipped through a magazine while carefully inspecting the electric pink nail polish on her manicured fingernails with interest, frowning slightly when she found something amiss with the nail of her left thumb. Finally, there was a young girl sitting rather straight in her chair, her fingers twitching somewhat anxiously on her leg. Her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, a red and blue baseball cap covering the top of her head while the hard bill of the hat shaded her face from prying eyes. Unconsciously tilting his head to the side, Kenshin noticed a small smile on her lips.

In a swift move, the girl reached up and pulled the baseball cap off of her head, revealing her smooth features. She lifted up a hand and brushed stray wisps of dark hair from her blinking eyes.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, her eyes questioning him silently.

Did he remember her?

Kenshin almost snorted in response. Oh, boy, did he. Not matter how hard he had tried in the past few weeks, he couldn't force her remarkable face out of his muddled mind. And she still looked the same as she had on that fateful Saturday afternoon.

And for some odd reason, whenever Kenshin tried to speak to her, now at this very moment and especially on that auspicious day of bumbled introductions, he felt as if his ability to communicate with other humans fled cowardly from his jumbled mind, revealing him to be a stuttering, clumsy idiot. It seemed his embarrassing lack of words had hit him with full force again; Kenshin could only nod wordlessly in response. Mentally rolling his eyes in flustered annoyance, Kenshin's grip on his duffel bag tightened causing his knuckles to turn a strained white.

Apparently, the girl didn't mind though, taking his lack of response easily. Her captivating sapphire eyes sparkled with amusement, smiling kindly at his fidgeting form. She crossed her right leg over her left in a move of comfortable relaxation and folded her hands neatly in her lap. The red t-shirt she wore advertised a local university not a few blocks away.

Her lips parted slightly as her eyes crinkled with friendly mirth. "I almost didn't recognize you. You look so different from the, uh, last time I saw you."

Clearing his throat nervously, Kenshin looked down at himself in confusion, carefully analyzing his appearance. He wore a pair of faded light blue jeans, black Adidas shoes, and a somewhat baggy, though very warm, teal hooded sweatshirt. What was he wearing before? A few long seconds ticked by before comprehension dawned on him, his cheeks flushing slightly with a bashful blush.

Oh, yeah.

_Those_ horribly mismatched clothes.

Smiling sheepishly, Kenshin rubbed the back of his neck with his hand nervously and shuffled his feet.

"Those were laundry clothes. Didn't have anything else to wear at the time. My roommate stole all the other good ones," Kenshin replied faintly once he found his voice.

The girl let out a magical tinkle of laughter which caused Kenshin's heart to beat a little faster in his constricted chest. Welcomed by her open expression, he stepped closer and slowly sat down in the plastic chair beside her, carefully stuffing the duffel bag underneath his chair.

Wryly she replied, "Sounds somewhat like my roommate. Always thinking of herself before she even imagines to acknowledge another person in her mighty presence."

Kenshin chuckled at that, nodding his head with a hesitant smile. "Mmm," he responded.

"I'm Kaoru, by the way. I don't think I introduced myself to you last time we met. Rather rude of me," she said with a frown.

Kenshin crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair, watching her revealed emotions play over her pretty features. His lips curved into a small smile as he started to relax in her unexpectedly tranquil company.

"Don't worry about it," Kenshin told her, stretching his legs out in front of himself and crossing his feet at his ankles. He wavered tentatively for a second, and then bumbled on, vaguely uneasy. "How did your laundry come out?"

Kaoru threw back her head and gave a surprised snort of laughter, her eyes dancing with mischief while she shook her head in exasperated mirth. "Horrible," she giggled, peering at him with a smile. "All shrunken and discolored. My roommate, Megumi, was not happy. Though, she deserved it for making me come down here without telling me the basics of the art of washing clothes." Kaoru tilted her head to the side and sighed heavily. "I really wish I had followed your advice."

Kenshin grinned at her as he watched the charismatic glow of her eyes. "I made the same mistake, actually, when I first started washing clothes. In retaliation for not only ruining my own clothes but my roommate's as well, my roommate just wore some of my leftover clothes," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Kaoru let out a small whoosh of laughter and shook her head in accord. "After coming home with that monstrosity of a mistake, Megumi sat me down and went over how to wash clothes in detail. She could barely talk to me at the time because her face was so red with anger," she said lightly as she restlessly fidgeted in her chair. Kaoru's eyes clouded a moment with a hint of poorly concealed apprehension before she had the chance to surreptitiously mask the emotion.

Kenshin watched her keenly, and set about to put her at ease.

"I have never seen you here before that Saturday you came a few weeks ago. Switch Laundromats?"

Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek and frowned slightly, taking her eyes off Kenshin's probing gaze of curiosity. She cleared her throat as she worked up a small amount of needed nerve. "I, uh, didn't really come here to wash my clothes, tonight. Well, I _am_ washing some clothes right now, but that isn't the main reason I came tonight," she whispered quietly, peering at him underneath the cover of her dark eyelashes. "I came that one Saturday because the washer in my apartment broke down. But, I've been coming here almost every day since then to see if I would be able to catch you again. I've wanted to talk to you and apologize for my abrupt and rather rude behavior."

Kenshin's eyes widened with surprise and he sucked in a short breath as he watched Kaoru fiddle with her own fingers nervously, uncertain as to his response to her unforeseen revelation. A lighthearted smile creased his lips as he reached over to pat Kaoru lightly on her shoulder in kind reassurance. She turned her gaze to his in response.

"I'm quite flattered, actually," Kenshin grinned. "It's not everyday that I hear a pretty girl like you is trying to find someone like me."

At ease, Kaoru uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, placing both of her hands on top of her bent knees. "What do you mean, someone like you?"

Kenshin brushed a hand across the top of his head and smiled crookedly. "I guess you could say I'm somewhat of a nerd." At Kaoru's frown of mystified confusion, he continued. "I'm a graduate student at the local university. I'm trying to get my Masters in Physics and Astronomy. I've got a full scholarship for my tuition, books and board if I agree to do scheduled experiments and observations with their sophisticated telescopic equipment at the university planetarium up on the mountain about thirty minutes from here. Sano, my roommate, calls me a vampire for staying out all night and sleeping in the mornings before my afternoon classes."

Watching him with a silent curiosity, Kaoru hung onto his every word, her eyes lightening with interested wonder. She turned sideways in her chair to face Kenshin fully, propping one foot on the flat surface of orange chair. She clasped her hands around her upraised knee and leaned forward a little in excitement. "I'm a sophomore there! This is my third semester. I'm undecided as to what my major will be, but I have to admit that I've always loved looking at the stars through a telescope. My father is an avid astronomer, and he often drafts me to join him with his planetary exploits in the middle of a clear night."

"It is quite a magical experience to be welcomed into the folds of heaven's light, hmm," Kenshin replied with a gentle smile. "Have you been to the planetarium?"

Humming softly beneath her breath, Kaoru shook her head negatively and bit the inside of her cheek in thought. "No, I've never been. My friend, Misao, always comes up with alternatives when I suggest we go up there."

"You should go there some time," he replied in a hushed voice.

"I will. Don't worry. I definitely plan on it."

A soft beeping sound interrupted Kaoru's train of thought, filling the Laundromat. Kaoru's eyes shifted from Kenshin's face to the wall of dryers, and she sighed when she saw that the dryer containing her meager amount of clothes had stopped. She was almost tempted to go over and put more quarters in the machine to extend her time with the interesting redhead beside her, but with the way her luck went with laundry machines, her clothing would spontaneously combust inside the revolving monster of doom.

"Yours?" Kenshin asked.

Nodding, Kaoru stood from her seat, brushing imaginary wrinkles from her dark jeans. Bending over, she picked up a small canvas backpack and walked over to the halted machine wearily, discontent apparent in her small, rigid steps. Kaoru pulled the clear door open easily and pulled out two articles of clothing: a pair of black jeans and a yellow sleeveless shirt with gold embroidered lettering. She folded them in a strange, haphazard way and stuffed them distractedly inside the small backpack. As Kaoru turned back, she slung the small bag over her shoulder and made her way back over to Kenshin.

Putting the baseball cap back on her head, Kaoru gave Kenshin a slanted smile and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"I guess I'll see you later," she said.

Kenshin sat up and returned her smile. "Yeah."

He watched as she walked to the door, her steps slightly hesitant, her head held high. He felt a stab of regret at seeing her go as a stray thought filtered in his mind. He hoped he'd see her again.

He hoped.

-

It became an unspoken and natural agreement the two made to meet at the local Laundromat every Thursday night between 6:00 and 7:00 when a lull of customers left the small place of business comfortably silent, save a few random people who filtered in quietly. Gradually, Kenshin and Kaoru came to know each other shyly with open conversations and some gentle teasing about their separate lives and the diverse array of people each spent their days with.

Their tentative relationship remained in this slight state of hesitant limbo until one meaningful spring night when Kenshin took the first step to furthering their pleasant involvement.

Kaoru's laundry was up first, her bag packed with the small collection of now dry clothes she had brought. She opened her mouth to say some jokingly obtuse phrase of temporary farewell, but Kenshin interrupted her, a timid question apparent in his gaze.

"Do you want to stay and keep me company? That is if you don't have any plans after this," he asked timorously, some of his old reticence returning with hard clarity. "And if you want to, we could go get some coffee afterwards?"

It may have seemed as if Kaoru was trying to find a way to carefully decline without wounding the young man's pride, though in truth she was too shocked, too stunned to reply coherently. Her fingers fell from the rough fabric of backpack's strap, while her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat.

This was something she hadn't expected.

Something, she had admittedly thought about, though.

Licking her lips, Kaoru's mouth finally curved into a brilliant smile of entrancing beauty, spearing the young man in front of her with hidden marvel. The two stared at each for a few moments, before she broke the silence while settling down back into her former seat.

"Sure," she replied in a delighted voice, setting her backpack in her lap. "That sounds like a great idea."

And that was the beginning.

The beginning of a chaotic, yet rewarding relationship.

-

**Author's Note**: I'm not quite sure what to think of this part. I wrote what I planned, though I'm not sure if it quite reaches my original expectations. Oh, well. I hope no one is disappointed with this.

Please leave your thoughts. You know you want to!

Thanks.


	3. Part 3

**Author's Note**: The third and final installment! Hope everyone likes it.

Part 3 takes place about three years _after_ Part 2, so don't be confused.

**Reviewer Responses**:

Mimi-san: So glad you're enjoying it so far. I hope you like the way I ended this little fic. Thanks for your great review!

Ame no Neko: I always seem to miss stories as well, finding them only when they're almost done. Though, that's not all that bad. I don't have to wait as long for the end. (grin) I'm happy you like it so far. Hope you like the conclusion.

Megumi Readman: Don't worry about not reviewing the first chapter. At least you reviewed this one, right? Laundromats are interesting places…a little random for a story's settng, I admit, though not impossible. Guess you'll get to see what's been in my head from the start of this fic. Hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun writing it! Thanks for your review.

duDe: Thanks for your really nice review. Hope you like the end!

person: That's awesome you're liking this so much. Really brightens my day. Hope you like this chapter…hope it fits in well! Thanks for your awesome support of my writing. It sure means a lot.

Triste1: Once again, I thank you for your thoughts on my writing. It's great to see a fresh view. You leave such a well-rounded review, it's awesome. Thanks for your helpful and encouraging thoughts. They are muchly appreciated.

Aine of Knockaine: I'm glad you weren't disappointed. I hope you like this last part as well. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Irulan 24: Ah, I know not all physics majors are nerds…I happen do be in the group of scientifically minded individuals, though my specialty isn't physics, it's biology…an absorbing subject. Though, I am taking physics at the moment for my core requirements. It's really fascinating to see the array of people taking the class. But…I've honestly never actually decided where they lived or what university they are attending. Though, if it would help you, let's say Vanderbilt…in Nashville, TN. Great city…great school. I know a couple of people who attend classes there. And, after I finish writing these responses and update this story, I plan on working my butt off on my other works to get out some more chapters in a nice, quick fashion. (grin) Thanks so much for your review. It's great to hear people's thoughts!

scythe195: Here's the end! I hope you enjoy as much as the rest. Thanks so much for leaving your thoughts!

someone: Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter, though this one isn't much longer, if not the same length. In average, my usual chapters are longer…this story just demands short ones, I suppose. Frustrating, isn't it? And I am currently writing two more ongoing Kenshin fics…just click my name up above to go to them. Tell me if you like them as well! Thanks so much for your review!

erica6060: Yeah, Kaoru seems to have bad luck. I'm happy you like the story. Hope you enjoy the end. Thanks for reviewing.

Prince Aoshi: Here's the end. Hope you like it! Thanks for leaving your thoughts. (smile)

scorpion's lady: I'm so glad you love my story. I hope you enjoy the end. Thanks for reviewing!

Imana: (laugh) I hope you fall in love with it for a third time! (grin) I'm so happy you're enjoying it. Thanks so much for your kind thoughts.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

_**Amethyst Serendipity**_

**Part 3**

_**Three years later…**_

Eyes twinkling with revealed mirth, Kaoru tugged anxiously on Kenshin's hand, pulling him roughly down the sidewalk through the throng of walking people. He followed her with an exasperated, yet accepting look on his face as he carried two large canvas bags bursting with dirty clothes.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Kaoru muttered under her breath, sending Kenshin a frown. "We're going to hit the rush of people if we don't get there soon!"

Kenshin sighed, his ever-present patience shoving the nagging irritation from his mind. "Kaoru, I don't think it's going to matter whether we get to the Laundromat in thirty seconds or in one minute. The only way the Laundromat could possibly be filled to the brim with people so soon is if a huge bus decided to unload its passengers. Which is, in fact, highly unlikely."

Kaoru's steps faltered, her grip on his hand loosening somewhat, finally allowing him to walk beside her instead of behind her. Sighing, Kenshin slipped a hand underneath one of the bag's annoying straps digging into his shoulder to ease some of the biting tension. He let out a breath of relief at the momentary ease of pressure.

"I guess you're right." Kaoru turned her head to gaze at him and brushed her hair from her eyes. "You always are, it seems."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Kaoru studied the teasing tilt of his mouth and shook her head slowly. "Nah. I've gotten used to it, seeing as how I've dated you for three whole years now," she responded as they walked up to the door of the Laundromat and pushed it open.

Kenshin grunted in disproval, a brooding look crossing his features. "Dating? I wouldn't necessarily call it dating," he muttered to himself. "We're practically living together…," he trailed off as he watched her walk over and open the lid of an operating washer, utter a small 'oops' with widened eyes and trail off to another row.

"What's that you said?" she asked him when he came to a stop beside her as she opened the top of an empty washer.

"Nothing."

Kaoru turned her eyes to his, confusion lurking in the sapphire depths, also accompanied by flash of irritation. "Nothing?"

Dropping the bags on the floor, Kenshin nodded and stooped down to open them. "Just what I said. Nothing."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, right, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I asked you first!"

Kenshin stared at her blankly for a moment as he pulled out a pair of wrinkled blue jeans. He stood, stuffed them inside the washer, then turned back to face his glowering girlfriend.

"We aren't dating," he stated with a frown.

Kaoru reared back, her face sharpening with befuddlement. "We are, too."

He sighed slowly, blinking at Kaoru with frustrated fortitude. "We stopped dating two and half years ago. Our relationship has evolved since then."

Snatching a small yellow towel from his hands, Kaoru shoved it into the washer with jerky motions. "You know what I mean, Kenshin." He watched her fiddle absentmindedly with the belt loop of her jeans and shift her feet uncomfortably. "I wasn't trying to…downplay our relationship."

The edge of his lips curled upward in a small smirk as a mischievous glint sparkled in his amethyst gaze. Brushing his long bangs from his vision, Kenshin handed Kaoru a pair of blue jeans, but held onto them when she tried to take them.

Tugging on the jeans, Kaoru sent him a bewildered look when he wouldn't let go.

"You ever going to let go?" she asked as she raised her eyebrows in question.

"Thinking about it."

Watching his face, Kaoru gave him a perplexed smile. "Work tiring you out? Not thinking straight? Being a full time researcher at the lab might not have been such a great career choice for your already muddled brain after all," she teased.

Kenshin chuckled and cocked his head to the side as he studied her clear, makeup free features. The years had matured her subtle teenage beauty, sculpting her smooth features into a vision of pure exquisiteness. Her expressive sapphire eyes stared at him now with uncertain humor, daring him to speak.

"They _have_ been giving me extra research assignments," Kenshin stated with a grin, closing the gap between their bodies with his hand, running his fingers across her forehead through the silky strands of her bangs to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Maybe I should go talk to them?"

Kenshin stifled the urge to laugh. "That's okay, honey. I've got it handled."

"Are you sure? I mean, I could really give them a piece of my mind," Kaoru started with a teasing tilt of her head. "I'm going to be an elementary school teacher, so I should buff up on my disciplinary skills."

"Uh, these people aren't five years old."

Jerking the jeans from Kenshin's hands, Kaoru gave him a pointed look and stuffed them inside the washer. "I know. Just trying to help."

She took some more clothes from him, filling the washer almost to the point of overloading the poor machine. Kenshin dumped in some detergent, slipped the coins into it and pressed the start button. Kaoru stepped back as Kenshin walked forward, kicking the second bag with his foot. Stopping in front of an adjacent empty washer, Kaoru frowned as she watched Kenshin unzip the bag and pull out a pair of purple shorts.

"Did you ever hear back from that guy who wanted you to go to Boston for a meeting with your research group's sponsors?" Kaoru asked, taking the shorts from him. Kenshin looked up as she folded it inside the washer, and watched her pull up the sleeves of her long-sleeved shirt.

"Yeah. I told him I didn't want to go if I had a choice. They're going to send Aoshi, instead," he said.

"Why don't you want to go?"

Smiling up at Kaoru, Kenshin reached out and wrapped a stray arm around her lower leg and winked. "Wanted to stay here with you, of course."

Pleasure bloomed in Kaoru's chest as she watched the redhead turn back to the brimming bag and let go of her leg.

"Ah," she replied softly.

Closing his fingers around the waist band of a pair of tattered jeans inside the bag, Kenshin stood and held them out to her, his mouth curving upside down into a slight downward slope. Kaoru took them from him and started to put them in the washer, but Kenshin stopped her with a gentle hand on her bare forearm.

"Can you check the pockets of the rest of the jeans? I can't remember if I left anything in them. Last time we washed our clothes, I ended up ruining a twenty dollar bill." Kenshin shook his head in disproval and pointed behind him. "I'm going to run to the restroom."

Kaoru nodded slowly and gave a noncommittal sigh of approval as she watched him stalk off to the small labeled room in the back of the Laundromat. She lowered her gaze back to the jeans and stuffed her hands into the pockets, finding them both empty. She found the same results with two more pairs, but on the third pair, her fingers encountered something…odd. Wrapping her fingers around the small, cool object, Kaoru scrunched her eyebrows together as she pulled it out.

Her heart thumped heavily in her chest as she stared at it. Swallowing, Kaoru sucked in a deep breath and leaned weakly against the metal washer as a wave of astonishment swept over her.

Dear, God.

Was this an…_engagement ring_?

Kaoru's eyes widened as she licked her lips nervously. The shiny silver band was smooth, circling around and cradling a solitary, amethyst colored stone wrapped in the embrace of several sparkling diamonds. The jeans she held fell limply onto the floor with a thump as Kaoru continued to stare at the ring, the surrounding activity of fellow occupants in the Laundromat blurring in an unrecognizable haze.

-

Clearing his throat nervously, Kenshin placed his hands on the lip of the porcelain sink inside the small restroom of the Laundromat. Staring at himself in the somewhat dirty mirror, Kenshin fervently hoped that he had not just made a huge bumble. With a last sigh, he stepped away from the mirror, turned the knob of the narrow bathroom door, and stepped through the doorway into the busy mass of people who converged in the small building to do their laundry.

His eyes landed on Kaoru's back as she started the washer's cleaning cycle and placed her hands triumphantly on her hips. As he made his way over to her, she bent over and picked up the two large bags they had brought their laundry in and set them on top of the washer. Turning, Kaoru smiled happily at him when she noticed him walking back over to her.

Eyes scanning Kaoru's figure, her hands, and her face, Kenshin's heart anxiously skipped a beat when he noticed her expression and her body language remained unchanged from when he left to use the restroom. Everything seemed frighteningly normal. Coming to a stop beside her still form, he managed to smile weakly. Oh, he hoped she hadn't put the ring into the washer.

Kaoru slipped her arm through Kenshin's and poked him playfully in the stomach. "You look a little green. Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

Kenshin sucked in a few rapid breaths and slipped his free hand over the one Kaoru wrapped loosely around his arm, intertwining their fingers.

Ignoring her question, he raised tentative eyes to hers. "Did you, uh, check all the pockets of my jeans? I could have sworn, I left…," he trailed off in a whisper, "something."

Kaoru flashed a cheery smile and tugged him over to a small section of empty orange chairs. He followed her stupidly, his mind spinning in a delirious daze. He couldn't think straight.

The ring was in the washer.

The ring he had spent a bundle of money on.

The perfect ring it took him two months to find.

Fate must really hate him.

Really, really, really hate him.

Slumping in the chair Kaoru pulled him down into, Kenshin bit the inside of cheek hard, internally berating himself for the insane idea to put the ring in his pants. He now realized the humongous flaw in his plan. A little too late, though.

Biting her lip, Kaoru watched the play of emotions on Kenshin's face. She had tortured the poor man long enough, she reasoned. Kaoru slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans and pulled the ring out. Placing it on the tip of her thumb, she held it up in front of Kenshin's nose and wiggled the digit mischievously.

Kenshin's eyes focused on the familiar ring, and he frowned. His eyes widened and he turned his startled gaze to her smiling visage.

"I forgot," she said softly. "Found this in your pocket."

Reaching his hand out to gently take the amethyst ring from her thumb, Kenshin held it carefully between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes captivated by the ring's perfect glow. Shifting his gaze to Kaoru's face, his stomach fluttered nervously at the calm, questioning shimmer in her eyes.

Taking her left hand in his, Kenshin loosely wrapped his fingers around hers. Staring deeply into her eyes, he sighed.

"Will you marry me?"

The smile was slow to form, curving in an achingly slow pace. When she finally smiled fully, it not only brightened her countenance, but her whole body glowed with happiness.

Intertwining her fingers with his, she replied…

"Yes."

It was miraculous how good it felt to hear that simple word escape her lips.

Kenshin pushed the ring slowly up the ring finger of her left hand.

"You tricked me," he whispered.

"I know," Kaoru replied with an impish smile, winking at him.

"I'm going to get you back some day."

"Well, you do have the rest of your life to come up with something wicked, you know."

Chuckling, Kenshin replied, "True. Very true."

Kaoru leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, reaching up to run her fingers through the long strands of his red hair.

"I think the first washer just stopped."

"Huh?" Kenshin replied stupidly, mesmerized by her.

"The washer stopped," she repeated.

"That's nice" he said, leaning forward to silence her with his lips and erase any stray thoughts from her mind. Smiling happily against his lips, Kaoru wrapped her arms around his neck in response, leaning into his comforting frame.

Damn, it felt good to be engaged to someone you loved more than life itself…someone so essential, you couldn't imagine life without them.

Kenshin pulled his new fiancé closer.

It felt damn good.

-

**Author's Note**: Ah, the end of this little story. Hope everyone enjoyed reading. It's been a joy to write it.

I broke it into three parts because I wanted the meeting, the conversation/initiation into dating, and finally the beginning of their new life together. Hopefully, I pulled it off well.

Make sure to leave a review and tell me your thoughts. They are all greatly appreciated.


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